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The Days
The journal of Perimi Meadowflower, from the first day of our grand expedition to our last day. Day 1 We set out from the town of Ossuary as the sun, golden and warming, rises to meet us. The Blades of Paradigm consist of myself, the Braman shaman Lulu, the Nothern Elf warrior and my best friend Siberia, the hardened but humoured Raka the Savannah King, the blind Pristine monk Fam, Feena the Szugri navigator, and the absent-minded Kraati Artificer Khuri. Day 2 After discovering a dead older couple and an injured girl named Miriam in a field we arrive at the village of Pan. We learn that a tribe of local Jagrafan are threatening the town. When the Jags arrive to take the town by force, Siberia defeats the leader of the tribe and elicits an honour promise from the Chieftain that the wolf-men won't invade again. Day 6 We arrive in the beautiful and scenic town of Belthin's Port, where we are attacked by an assassin from the 13th Hour. Here we meet Tess, a pirate that refuses to admit she's a pirate. Tess, having read many of my books, asks us if she may join our expedition. After some consultation amongst each other, we agree to let Tess join. Day 8 Tess is gracious enough to allow us passage on her sloop. We are caught in a dense fog, and run aground on a strange island miles out to sea that is haunted by qi spirits. After exploring the island we found a gateway and used it to escape back to civilization. We decide that the portal is too dangerous to leave alone and Tess orders her crew to cannonade it after we've passed through. Day 10 The island portal has taken us directly to Port Takar, shaving weeks off our journey. The others are grateful. A new ship docks at port, crewed by a foreign race of humanoid tigers called the Kzinti. They also have a cargo of human slaves. Although slavery is legal in the Empire we uncover evidence of abuse and report the infractions to the port authority. The Kzinti are sent on their way. Day 14 We have taken a land route to Bishop's Perch, a quaint little village where everyone is morose. We've discover that the town is being haunted by a sluagh, a faerie spirit guardian of the dead and the creature is accosting those that leave their houses after dark. We've set up camp at the cemetery the sluagh emerges from. (Later) The sluagh problem has been solved, thanks to some fast thinking action by Fam. The faerie meant no harm. It had been befriended by a small child whom died recently of illness. As the creature has no real concept of death it was only trying to find it's little friend. It understands now that the little girl will not visit her any more and we think it will stop haunting the streets. Day 16 The residents of Bishop's Perch don't believe our story of the Sluagh, though they do know the little girl that the creature mentioned. These people are bloody gits, we're leaving at first light. Day 44 We've arrived in Watership, a short distance from the Mannadir Forest. It's crowded, wet, and noisy. The city is built entirely on the surface of the lake. We shan't have trouble booking passage upriver for the town of Middleton, a days journey. (Later) We have trouble. We've uncovered a plot to assassinate a local crime boss. It seems that we're the assassins. Day 45 We've been in hiding, trying to get out of the city undetected. No luck, the 13th Hour have caught up to us again. Fam caught an arrow from mid-air and saved Siberia's life. Tess killed the assassin before we could get to him to question him and now the entire city's law enforcement is looking for us. (Later) We've just come from the Governor's mansion and are holed up in one of his magnificent yachts. He knows we've been set up, and has granted us protection because one year ago we freed some slaves from captivity. He was one of those slaves. Day 46 We're on our way to Middleton. What a day! Two more Hour assassins discovered us on the city docks as we were preparing to cast off. We had to hijack a speedboat, which lead to a high speed chase through the waterways. We only just escaped. The world has gone bloody crazy and taken us with it. We caught the assassin, and have learned that the Damiyo of the Eastern Dynasty has sent the killers after us because of a vague prophecy about how our group will stop him from conquering Paradigm. Fam is looking into it. In the meanwhile we have learned that we must go North to the city of Tarmellon to learn what the prophecy is all about. Day 72 We are in terrible danger. We've taken a land route to Middleton and were nearly killed by a sudden and intense winter storm. We've taken refuge in what appeared to be an abandoned house built into a hillside. It's not abandoned. It's a Pax Entropica safe house, and we've met and defeated a guardian earth spirit. We shall sleep, and hope this bloody storm passes by then. Day 73 Over breakfast we decided to explore the rest of the house. The defeated a water spirit, and Lulu has saved us all from a guardian air spirit byt sharing secret information with it. We have learned through a found letter than the Pax is seeking the books of Prospero, and intend on attacking someone named Pith in Middleton. Worse, the homeowners, named Tosh and Tachete, are due home any time. Siberia is adamant that we go to Middleton and warn Pith, and I agree. The storm has all but passed so we are getting out of this bloody house. Day 74 Middleton. We're currently in a warm and comfortable room of White Horse hostel, owned by Pith and his wife Mirreah. It turns out they know the Lord of Entropy, the leader of the Pax. They were once traveling companions with him. We've delivered out warning. I wish to wash my hands of this whole matter but Si feels wrongly of it, for one of Prospero's books is in a temple in Mannadir and it goes against all of her morals to just walk away from a situation that could grant the Lord of Entropy more power to overthrow the Empire. We shall have a bit of sleep, some lunch, and set out for the temple straightaway. Day 75 We are in Mannadir, and I am not happy! Laws formed of a pact between humans and elves forbid any non-elves from leaving the traveled highways. Bother. Any case. We've gotten the book, the Book of Water from the Temple of Yoriann the Love Goddess. We had to endure several trials and riddles about love, as well as enchanted rooms that reminded us of the true meaning of our journey. Once we get to Netbbe we are sending the book to Omashu. Day 78 Three days since I've written. Busy bumblespiders, we are. From the temple we struck out East toward Netebbe, and came to Falton. Falton is a small farming village, laid siege to by nearby bandits and orcs. We thought at first they were bandits but have since learned that they are an Entropic excavation party excavating some kind of crypt. We slew their leader, a foul black orc, but could not discover what the group what excavating for. The farmers are happy, which is what really matters. They are re-supplying us for we shall be 14 days through the wilderness to Netebbe, the capitol city of this region of the Empire. Day 92 I am regretting my decision to allow Tess to join us. We arrived in Netebbe without issue. We visited the Artificer's guild for news and learned that the Dynasty has declared war on everyone, and has invaded Pradamir. Feena shared maps we got from the safe house and temple with the guild cartographer. Tess, whom constantly brags about being Lemurian and how great Lemuria is, has lost her bloody mind because the cartographer knows about Lemuria. Tess says nobody but a Lemurian should even know that the species and the place exists. Wot? Now the Guildmaster and the cartographer are dead, murdered. The cartographer's maps are missing, and so is Tess. The constabulary is convinced Tess committed the crimes and though I should like to believe she's not, I am questioning myself. Tess' behaviour is erratic at best. Day 93 All day searching for Tess, we're taking the evening off. Siberia has won an arm wrestling contest with a half-orc. Fam dueled another air elementalist and wons a pot of money for charity. Lulu enlisted three other Brahman to aid her and freed a captive white tiger destined for a zoo. Raka played a game of tag with a Mattimeo thief. I suckered three Nain brothers out of their money-and clothes-in an archery contest. Feena was asked to aid the Artificer chapter house and delivered a scroll to the brother of the murdered cartographer, only to learn that her handsome escort is Tosh Lassar, one of the Pax Entropica generals pursuing us from the safe house. He has Tess, and we go at midnight to retrieve her. Not sure she's worth it, but don't want her to spend the rest of her days branded a murderer for a crime she didn't commit. Day 94 Tess is safe, and has been cleared of all charges. Tosh and Tachete wanted the Water book, which we sent off to Omashu days ago. We arrested Tachete and turned her over, she confessed the truth to the law. Tess has not yet said thank you. Fam doesn't want Tess with us any longer, and the others are beginning to side with her. We're going to have a good night's sleep and set out. We shall be 25 days in the wilds until we reach Imperial City. There are towns along the way but we shan't stay in any of them. I don't want Tess getting into any more trouble. Day 119 We are in Imperial City! We've much to do! Shopping, relations to visit, supplies to aquire, and Feena has found an artificer whom can convert our little wagon into a plush and opulent traveling safe house. It will mean a bit of an extended stay, but that's alright. We've taken an assignment to deliver a qi dagger to a local governmental official from the Vicomte de Cornwall. Our moneys are depleted, and the Vicomte is paying us in gold as well as a slave girl. What could go wrong? Day 120 Everything has gone wrong. The dagger we were to deliver was stolen by the very same Matti theif that taunted Raka in Netebbe. We chased her along the mail slides and chutes all over the city and breakneck speed before getting the dagger back and making our delivery. We'd gotten our pay, our slave Lydda, and set up in a very nice hotel room. All we had to do was wait on the cart and we could continue toward Tarmellon. Khuri has been arrested by her guild. Why is it always us? Day 124 Khuri is facing dire charges. Fam is acting as her legal counsel. Feena made the mistake of speaking to gnomes about legal representation for her girlfriend and now the buggers won't leave us alone. I've asked my cousin, Nanaki, if we may come visit her. Awaiting her answer. In the meanwhile, we've completed our shopping. All we need now is our cart and to see what happens with Khuri. I have every confidence in Fam, especially now that we're going to cheat. Day 126 We've visited my cousin Nanaki in her church. Delilah was there. Damn it, why did it have to be Delilah. I had to tell my companions the truth. They know now that I was once a Captain in the Imperial military and that Delilah is my daughter, information I did not want them to know. What's done is done. We accompanied Nanaki into the sewers to rid a section of the city from Cult of Spider minions. Day 129 Khuri's trial is over. Fam performed splendidly, she proved that Khuri had nothing to do with the accident in the lab and the theft of a book. But Khuri was found guilty on minor charges, and now we have to install semaphore towers, whatever those are, at every major city along our route to Tarmellon. Day 133 Lulu has brought us a letter from a person she calls only Gentleman. We are to meet him in a house on the edge of town. (Later) It's a mystery! No Gentlemen was in the house, but agents of the Maktatui Jungle were. There was a great fight, the strange men were trying to murder Lulu. I've no idea what's going on, Lulu is as close-mouth as ever regarding the situation, but clearly she knows what it was about. Day 144 We have been transported against our will out of the Imperial City. We were drugged during dinner by a masked nobleman and those two horrible dark elves, Tosh and Tachete. We are currently in the Blackdell, having slept through eight days of travel. We are going to make for the Maktatui. I've a gnawing in my gut that the masked nobleman was the Lord of Entropy himself. Something is coming toward us, more later. (Later) We were found by a band of Hakoda gnolls and we're now in their village. Their cheiftan, Chases-The-Wind has granted us amnesty until we can be judged worthy of living amongst the tribe by their shaman tomorrow. Lulu is the most comfortable of us currently, this is her environment. Am actually quite happy. Wanted this expedition to be one of good-will embassy and we've finally established contact with a civilization unknown to the outside world. Day 145 A dragon! It was a dragon! DRAGON! The Hakoda Tribe has shown us why it is so powerful in the Blackdell, their shaman is a DRAGON. I wet myself when it judged us. It judged us worthy, and each of us are now recognized as members of the Hakoda Tribe, which confers great authority and respect in the Blackdell. I am both proud and subdued. Oddly, the dragon was staring at our foreheads, as if it was seeing something there that we could not. What does this mean? Day 150 We have traveled five days through Blackdell, and I've categorized five new bird species, dozens of new insect species, and new herbs found by Lulu. People will learn to not fear the Blackdell any more, it's beautiful! We are in the city of Greenboll on the banks of the Crawlbed River. We're going to charter a ship to the Maktatui. (Later) I hate this bloody place. The Damiyo of the Dynasty has placed a bounty on our heads, and we have battled a group called the Knives. We've left three of six of them dead. Hated to do it, but they captured Fam for the bounty and used her as bait for the rest of us. Hopefully what has happened here will deter other groups from trying to take us. A smuggler captain, Nemesis Nemo, has allowed us passage on his ship the S.S. Nautilus. Day 152 We are in Diobe, which is under siege by what they call a with whom has kidnapped children. We've recovered the children and are being haied as heroes. The townsmen have shaken off their fear of the witch, though we did not see the woman herself. I hope the townsmen stay firm in their resolve to drive the woman off. Day 206 Maktatui! We are surrounded by sweltering heat and humidity, insects getting everywhere, and the most beautiful types of foliage I have ever seen. I saw a juguarbat. The great creature was sitting in plain sight, watching us. Such a beautiful animal. I am in my tribal wear, and I told the others to trade at the Hakoda village for them but did they listen? No. So I am comfortable, while they gripe. Day 210 Night time. We have met Lulu's mysterious Gentleman. He is John Percy Augustus, the leading authority of the Maktatui in Paradigm. He signed the copy I have of his book, so exciting! We have met Lulu's family--thirteen sisters, five brothers, and father. I've never seen Lulu so happy, and so talkative. She's actually spoken six entire sentences in a row! We were feasted and entertained, and we're only just now settling down to sleep. I am greatly looking forward to what the great Maktatui has in store for us. Day 211 Jungle has not disappointed. Lulu was concerned over a storm in the distance that was not moving. After a sad departure with Augustus, we investigated the cause of the storm being held at bay. Believe it or not, there are rivers in Maktatui that run with blood instead of water. We found ancient ruins with architecture the likes of which I've not ever seen before. Within a temple we battled what I only describe as a blood golem. It was truly a horror. We are home now, as a heavy rain showers the village. All of us are shaken by what we saw except for Fam, who's blindness is a mercy that saved her from the sight. There shall be nightmares tonight, doubtless. Day 218 On the road we were stopped by an Imperial wargolem, that warned us of a viscious monster on the loose in the region. It recognized my authority as a superior officer and answered all questions put to it. The creature was a remnant of a legion that had fallen in battle eight hundred years ago, and the description of the monster it gave was itself. When presented with this, it destroyed itself. I am sad. It was a good soldier, doing it's duty. We've sent it's right hand and maul off to the museum at Omashu, where I know they will do the golem justice and accord it great respect as a historical artifact. Day 274 It's taken us two months to trek from the Maktatui to our current location, the town of Umbersilt, south of the Calla Lowlands. There wasn't much by way of threats or excitement during the trip but lots of discoveries on the open plains. Have started my newest book, Flora and Fauna of the Western Empire, which will include a great deal of the journey we've just made. Bright blue sparrowmonkeys, and I thought they species was uniformly green! Umbersilt is a rather lovely market city, and this is officially the farthest North I have ever been. Our intent is to charter a ship, Fee recommends the Seagull's Pride and Captain Saelis, and we will be a short time at sea following the coast bound for Melis in Fwth, in the Calla Lowlands. Day 291 We've arrived in Port Barad. The ship travel was quite nice, we stowed away aboard the cart. We met a cat-girl named Tzabini whom enlisted our aid in finding her foster mother. From the old woman, a new species of ratkin I've never seen before, we obtained maps to an old Nain kingdom and will be traveling there to see if we can find any historical artifacts. Day 295 Whilst traveling in the desert, we encountered two hitherto unknown species: The insect like Huul and the graceful Seh-Mirin, a race of felinoids. We were hosted to a feast. Traded twenty pounds of dried meat, ten gallons water, and Lydda to the Seh-Mirin for ten of their windswords. We'll make a fortune selling these swords! Raka and Fam yelled at me for trading Lyddia. I don't understand them. Day 297 We are in a small Szurgi settlement. Everyone is dead. Eighty-five people, all gone. The local mage released some virulent pathogen into the air. We are infected. We traveled through the mage's house looking for a cure. Every single bloody room was trapped. Raka tore some muscles. Fam has sustained the worst of the injury, three broken ribs. We found the anti-virus and released it. The air is purified and we are cured. I only wish we had been sooner. We could have saved these people. Day 300 We arrived at Jinfroth-Selim, and found some surprises. Our old ogre companion, Thud, was sniffing around the ruins and has joined us. Also we found the Matti that had heisted us twice before. Her name is Tyche and she too has become a blade. We found a murder victim, and quickly tracked down his killers within the ruins. There was another group there as well, with some manner of strange floating vehicle. All around, a day of surprises. More soon. Day 302 We have returned from the ruins. There is disappointment all about. The ruins have been picked clean, including of artifacts which may have been culturally significant. Fam is recuperating quickly after several doses of Edram tea. We our now back on course, our aim to make it through Calla as quickly as we are able and locate the city of Tarmellon. It is still a mystery whom we are meant to contact once we get there but am certain that when we arrive we will be expected. Day 312We found Tarmellon. Tarmellon is not a city, he's a Divine Messenger in the shape of a seven foot tall snowy owl. Tarmellon has validated my belief that we are the members of the Prophecy that set Damiyo Gasuke on our tails. We have been made avatars, each of us selected by the gods to help the world defend itself from Gasuke and the New Death. Life is bizarre. Siberia has decided she wants nothing more to do with this, and has left us. We are much saddened without her but our journey must go on. Day 318We continue northward on our quest to find the Chained God. We have found really strange ruins, weird asymmetrical architecture of what seems like a city that simply shouldn't be here. None of us could make heads or tails of it. We also found a strange obelisk that radiates heat, and makes the whole area around the city like a small patch of springtime. I don't know why, but this city frightens me. We're not staying. Day 319We've fled the city. As we were packing up something weird happened with the obelisk. The apex rotated and the strange alphabet or writing on top began to glow orange. A few minutes later we were besieged by a platoon of skeletons that seemed invincible, our weapons were useless against them. Thankfully, they only chased us as far as the city limits and didn't pursue us any further. I'm beginning to understand why no intelligent species lives this far north. The region is horrible and frightening. We're all scared.